“Liguria” Porcelain Wall Plate – Gilbert Portanier for Rosenthal, 1970s–1980s

Large matte porcelain bowl from Gilbert Portanier’s “Liguria” series, featuring an expressive arrangement of abstract and biomorphic motifs in red, blue, green and ochre against a charcoal-grey ground. Created for Rosenthal Studio-Line, the design reflects the French ceramic artist’s characteristic fusion of painterly abstraction, symbolic imagery and Mediterranean influences.

• Dimensions: H 7.5 cm, Dia. 28,5 cm
  
• Material: Matte porcelain
  
• Brand: Rosenthal
  
• Designer: Gilbert Portanier
  
• Color: Charcoal grey, red, blue, green and ochre
  
• Condition: Very good vintage condition; no chips, cracks or restorations. Minor traces consistent with age and careful handling.
  
• Era: 1970s–1980s
  
• Origin: Germany
  
• Remarks: “Liguria” series; integrated hanging holes on the reverse. Display stand not included.

Its generous scale and dark, richly decorated surface make it particularly effective as wall art above a sideboard, console or dining table. Displayed individually or as a pair, it adds depth and colour to contemporary, modernist and eclectic interiors while appealing to collectors of post-war ceramics and Rosenthal artist editions.

“Liguria” is one of Gilbert Portanier’s principal named collections for Rosenthal Studio-Line, alongside “Alta Mira” and “Le Midi.” Examples from the series have appeared at European decorative arts auctions, while Portanier’s wider Rosenthal collaboration was represented in the 2024–2025 retrospective Le chemin du rêve at the Musée Magnelli in Vallauris.

Gilbert Portanier (1926–2023) was a French ceramic artist from Cannes, closely associated with Vallauris and known for bringing painting, drawing, and ceramic form into the same visual language. After studying architecture in Paris, he turned to ceramics in the late 1940s, founded the Atelier du Triptyque in 1949, and developed a style marked by vivid color, abstract figuration, and a free, expressive hand.

Rosenthal, founded in 1879 in Selb, Bavaria, is one of Germany’s most important porcelain manufacturers, recognised for combining industrial production with high design standards. With its Studio-Linie programme from the 1960s onwards, Rosenthal invited international artists and designers to create avant-garde forms and décors, making pieces like this set both functional objects and design collectibles.